Gun Violence

04.11.13

Priorities: Jobs or Gun Control?

Scott Olson/Getty Images ()

John Judis argues at the New Republic that Democrats should prioritize economic recovery ahead of gun control:

[T]urning around the country’s economy is more important to the country’s economic and political future. That goes for gun control’s prospects, too. If the Democrats want to pass tough gun control measures—or address even more far-reaching issues like climate change—they need to win back the House, and they can’t do that with a faltering economy. But I’d also suggest that on the substance of the matter, turning around the economy is as important to ending gun violence as passing the kind of compromise gun control legislation that the Senate might pass, which would leave one important kind of “straw purchases” of guns—and a key source for guns used in crimes—out of its purview.